


Pint-Sized Prompts [October 2016]

by FeatherQuill (RogueLioness)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, October Prompt Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-19 07:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8196320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueLioness/pseuds/FeatherQuill
Summary: Bite sized prompt challenges for the month of October!Sun-Fri: 100 wordsSat: 400 words





	1. Almost At The Finish Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Get in here! [Jam as many characters as you can into a space, everyone must say at least one thing]
> 
> Word limit: 400 max.

“Someone wanna tell me why we’re all here, and not in the tavern?” Iron Bull drawled, shifting uncomfortably.

“Stop that, chief!” Krem hissed. “Those horns of yours - they’ll nick the plaster!”

The massive qunari huffed and cast his eye about the rotunda. The members of the Inner Circle were all there on the Inquisitor’s orders, although the boss was missing.

“Where is the Inquisitor? It isn’t like her to be tardy,” Vivienne sniffed.

“Fashionably late, you mean,” Dorian grinned, his smile widening as the First Enchanter rolled her eyes.

“I believe she is in the middle of a war room meeting,” Solas stated calmly. If he was annoyed over his painting time being disturbed, his face showed no indication of it.

Cassandra made a sound of disgust. “Ugh. We should be hunting for Corypheus, not wasting our time like this!”

Varric sighed, and shook his head. “You know Seeker, you really gotta learn how to relax. They ever tear you how to do that in Seeker training?”

Cassandra grumbled something under her breath.

Cole was swinging his legs, the corner of his boot catching the edge of the table, making a rasping sound that set Sera on edge. “Someone tell Creepy to stop that, or I’m gonna shaft him.”

The young lad’s gaze was fixed on the floor. “They cut letters in the bark. When she went away he cut away the letters to forget.”

Blackwall interjected before the young blond elf could lose her temper. “Cole, stop poking Sera,” he chided.

Everyone’s attention turned to the door as it swung open. The commander walked in first, followed by the spymaster and the ambassador. They all looked confused as they spotted the group in front of them, waiting expectantly.

Cullen spoke first, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Ahhh, what’s going on? Where is the Inquisitor?”

“We thought she was with you, Commander,” Dorian replied with a wink, causing the other man to flush and turn beet red.  
“She was,” Josephine replied. “She said she needed to run a quick errand, and that she would meet up with us in the rotunda.”

“Well,” Leliana’s face was indecipherable, “we shall find out soon.”

An explosion sounded in the distance, and the ground shook. Everyone looked at each other, alarmed, then at the door, where a slender, fierce-looking woman stood.

“We’ve found Corypheus,” she said grimly. “Let’s go.”


	2. Shapeshifter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Who's who at the zoo [someone turns into an animal]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

She was fifteen when she first saw the bear rip apart a screaming hunter with its claws.

From that moment, she’d been fascinated, yearning to be like them. Fierce. Unafraid.

Powerful.

All Morrigan wanted was to be powerful. In mind, in magicks… in _being_.

So she studied. Day after night, she stalked the beast, learning face, form, nature. She watched until she knew its very _soul_. 

She was startled by the bear one misty morning, as it roared at her.

It called to her.

She answered.

A flare of magic, a shift in the air… and **she** was the beast..


	3. Sweet tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Dramatic food moment [select from your choice of 4 images. Image selected - cake].
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

Solas wondered who’d brought it in.

It sat nestled in an innocuous box bearing the logo of a renowned bakery. One that he’d lingered by, a moment of weakness, when he’d accompanied the Herald to Val Royeaux.

Tiny and delicate, it was adorned with honey and almond and fresh cream and edible flowers that made it whimsical.

He cast a quick look about the room, confirming he was alone.

He was.

He picked it up with careful fingers. A snap of the jaws, and it vanished.

The long, low purr of approval he made was payment enough for his _vhenan_.


	4. What Did You Say?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: You talkin' to me? [Mistaken identity. This is either the best or worst thing to ever happen to your character.]
> 
> Word limit: 200 max.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” she asked, aghast. Surely she must have misheard. There was no way the man in front of her could have mistaken her for a _common servant_.

“Are you deaf or just stupid?” he sneered. “Fetch me my boots, maid.”

The Inquisitor raised herself to her full height - or as much as her five-foot self would allow her to. “I believe you’re mistaken,” she replied coolly. “Apologize immediately, and _fetch them yourself_.”

He scoffed. “What kind of idiots run the Inquisition? Can’t even follow a simple order.”

 _That was it_. She snarled.

A snap of her fingers, and the man was encased in a sheet of ice, the sound drawing the attention of the Ambassador and the Seneschal, both of whom looked flabbergasted at the sight. “Inquisitor, let Marquis Jeremiah go at once!” Josephine exclaimed, confused when the man turned pale at her words.

“Did you hear?” she hissed at him. 

He nodded, trembling in fear.

“I am Katarina Trevelyan, **the Herald of Andraste** , and I _do not_ tolerate idiots. You would do well to remember this.” 

She allowed a shard of ice to slice his cheek. “A reminder to never do this again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured for a faithful, arrogant, noble-born Inquisitor the worst thing that could happen is being mistaken for a 'commoner'.
> 
> Writing evil characters in 200 words is _so hard!_


	5. Embellishments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Chores [sometimes mundane tasks can be fun!]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“What the shit is this?” the Inquisitor demanded, thumping down a thick file of reports on the table.

Several sheepish gazes met hers. “Uhhh… our reports, boss?” Bull rumbled.

“These are reports? ‘The boss’ ass looked luscious as she attacked the Venatori’ is a report?”

Bull shrugged. “It’s true.”

“What about ‘I had to pee but then we came across demons?’ Shame on you, Varric.”

“I did! And we did!” he defended.

She sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘I know writing reports is boring, but keep the weird stuff out of it, okay?”

“You’re no fun, boss.”


	6. Friendly Banter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Bromance [Platonic love]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“It takes less effort to burn residual magic than it does to incorporate it into your next spell!” she exclaimed hotly, thumping her staff on the floor for effect.

Dorian scoffed. “That’s because the Circles in the South are woefully misinformed. Ambient energy makes one’s spells _far_ more effective.”

They glared at each other, hands tightly gripped on their staffs, their postures aggressive.

“You’re insufferable!” she rolled her eyes.

“You’re arrogant!” his nostrils flared.

The bells chimed, signalling supper. They relaxed.

“Same time tomorrow?” she asked casually, arm slung around his shoulder as they walked back together.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”


	7. Anatomical Malfunctions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Disgusting! [the villain wins by grossing out your hero]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

It was the peak of the battle; the Inquisitor faced the ancient darkspawn magister with the decomposing body. 

That, in itself, was a nauseating sight.

A moment of silence as everyone caught their breaths. In the middle of it - a loud _**PARP**_!

“What in the Maker’s name?” Everyone on the battlefield burst into laughter.

Then smell hit them; it was _overwhelmingly_ disgusting, and everyone gagged.

“Andraste preserve me, the _stench_ …” 

“This changes nothing!” Corypheus exclaimed. “I will still triumph!”

“You fart like that, old windbag, you can win _anything_ ,” the Inquisitor pointed out, vigorously fanning the air in front of her.


	8. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Fog [Are you lost, or are you trying to lose someone?]
> 
> Word limit: 400 max.

He was hunting her.

She ran deeper into the ominous forest, thorns pricking her bare feet maliciously. She could feel him getting closer, could almost feel his breath on the nape of her neck. The dense, thick, mysterious fog swirled all around her, caressing her bared skin with a wispy, ghostly touch.

The trees whispered to her as she flew past them: _Run, little one, run. Fen’harel stalks you._

She knew if she turned right, if she followed the stream, she would reach her clan. But she was Inquisitor Lavellan, the First to her people and Keeper to the _shemlen_ , and so she dared not set the Dread Wolf loose upon them. Instead, she turned right towards the mountains, leading the Trickster away from the people she cared for.

An excited howl filled the air, and the fog shimmered with the pearly light of the full moon. She trembled in fear. She was no match for the Dread Wolf, and she knew it. A sudden shift in the shadows had her veering left. Though she knew the terrain well, the fog had rendered her knowledge uncertain at best. She sobbed in relief as she spotted a familiar, well-worn path that cut through the mountains. Resting for a moment to heal her bloodied feet, she screamed as she spotted the six blood-red, gleaming eyes staring at her through the heavy curtain of the haze. She set off down the path, her lungs burning as they struggled to keep up with the demands of her body. Her breath came out in short puffs of white steam that mingled with the mist.

A sound to the left, and she swerved right. A growl from the right, and she turned left. He was herding her, and she knew it, but she was powerless to stop it. To stop running would mean defeat. And she would not accept defeat, not without a fight.

She nearly cried as the path ended abruptly at the edge of a steep cliff. She had nowhere left to run, no defense save the slight protection of the fog. She stood, her back to the cliff, desperately trying to silence her breathing.

_Thud._ The ground trembled beneath her.

She went deathly still.

_Thud._

A howl reverberated through the air, raised goosebumps on her skin.

_Thud._

The footsteps were getting closer.

She could hear her heartbeat in the silence.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._


	9. Cruel Commands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Haters to the left [write something that will anger/upset your usual audience]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

There was so much for her to take in.

Her lover was the Dread Wolf.

He carried Mythal’s power.

. . . And she was bound to Mythal through the Well.

She _did not_ like the smile on his face.

“Stand,” he crooned. She tried to fight against it, but the compulsion built up until it was too hard to resist.

She stood.

“Kneel.”

“I will **not** yield!” she hissed, same as she had to Corypheus. He only smirked, and waited.

She knelt.

“Go home, _vhenan_. Sit quietly, and do nothing that would disrupt my plans.”

She cried. And she left.

Alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, this was hard to write. Not just because of the short word limit, but ugh, Solas doing that to Lavellan.


	10. A Reason For Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Presents! [someone gets an unexpected gift]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“I have something for you,” she said. He’d never seen her this shy...

“What is it?” Cullen asked.

Elena hesitated. “Perhaps it’s best you come with me,” she replied.

He was admittedly confused when they entered the stables, even more so when she bade him wait in an empty stall.

Moments later, she returned, a blanket covering a squirming bundle in her arms. Her smile was beatific as she stooped and released the tiny pup into the straw. “Your new assistant, Commander.”

The pup jumped on him, tail wagging, slobbering all over Cullen’s face.

He laughed, the first time in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tempted to make this into a longer one-shot. Cullen and his mabari best friend, how could I not?


	11. Accidental Voyeur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Whatever your characters are doing, [ this](https://i.imgur.com/kzPRQKO.gifv) is the reaction to it.
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

It had been a really long day. By the time Elena was done with the reports, the tavern had been closed. 

_Fuck._

Still, it helped to know the one Qunari at Skyhold who was _always_ well-stocked with booze.

She made her way to his room, throwing open his door as she usually did… only to screech in _absolute horror_ moments later.

Dorian was there.

Tied up.

Naked.

With Bull towering over him.

Paddle in hand.

Also naked.

Sporting a rather impressive... _well._

“I saw **_nothing_** ,” she said in a high-pitched tone as she backed away slowly and shut the door.


	12. A Meeting Of Immortals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Hi, hey there, hello [crossover time! two characters from two different universes meet unexpectedly].
> 
> Word limit: 200 max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fen'harel meets the Doctor.

Fen'harel held the orb high up in the air. All around him, the air crackled with magic. He pushed his power through the orb, connecting with all the elven artifacts that the Inquisitor had so kindly activated for him.

He felt them all link up.

It was time.

A whirring sound had him looking over his shoulder in confusion. His perplexion increased as a… blue box? what was that thing?... apparated out of thin air.

Fen'harel could only stare as a door in the blue box opened, and a young, cheery-looking man stepped out.

“Right, hello there, I’m the Doctor,” the man had a strange accent. “You must be Fen'harel, then.”

“I am,” Fen'harel replied cautiously.

The Doctor eyed the orb with gleeful pleasure. “Ah, right on time,” he chirped. “That’s always good. Like I said, I’m the Doctor, and I’m here to tell you to **stop this immediately**.” The man’s tone turned darker, sinister. “No messing around with the Veil, it’ll come down by itself in time. Stop messing with this world, understood?”

He nodded dumbly.

“Right, well then, off I go. Cheerio!” Moments later, the man and the blue box disappeared.

He had no idea what just happened.


	13. Inelegant Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Panic, possibly some disco [[ Picture Prompt ](http://i.imgur.com/X0e4fvY.gifv)]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“Chaaaaaarge!” Neria yelled, spirit blade sparking in her hand as she rushed towards the enemy.

Of course, she missed the stone.

_Thud!_ She hit the ground, her butt sticking up in the air.

The spirit blade sputtered out.

“I’m fine! I’m fine!” she hastily jumped to her feet. “Charge!” she yelled again.

And slipped on the muddy ground, sliding across the wet dirt to land face-first at the feet of her enemies.

The Venatori looked confused. _This is the Inquisitor?_

“I _said_ **charge**!” Neria’s muffled voice reached her chortling companions, who finally sprung to action.

She never lived it down.


	14. Cautious Optimism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: It's all about the he said/she said [write anything, as long as it's mostly dialogue]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“You know I love you, right?” Marissa’s quiet voice reached his ears.

“Of course.” Cullen smiled at her. “What brought this on?”

“We go to war tomorrow,” she looked serious. “If anything should happen to me…”

“Don’t say that!” his arms were around her immediately. “I will not lose you. I _cannot_.”

“It’s a possibility, Cullen. I just wanted you to know… I cherish all you’ve given me. Thank you for loving me… for showing me what love feels like.”

“We’re in this together,” he reminded her. “And we’ll come out of it, _together_.”

“Is that an order, Commander?”

“Yes.”


	15. Temples And Tombs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Crack House! [Genre is crack; your characters find an abandoned house/spaceship/cave etc. Bonus for supernatural beings]
> 
> Word limit: 400 max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea what crack means, so I had to Google it [doesn't that make me feel old, sigh]. I'm still not quite sure, but... here we go, I guess?

“Might I point out this is called the _Lost_ Temple of Dirthamen?” Callia complained. “Perhaps it should stay that way.”

“There’s something in here that the Venatori wants, and we should get to it first,” Cassandra brusquely stated.

“But look at this place! The stone’s crumbling, there’s water everywhere, I’m not sure what that smell is and I don’t want to know, and the aura’s frankly disturbing me, I can sense magic but I have no idea where it’s coming from...”

Whatever the Seeker was about to say was lost in the horrible shriek that pierced the air. An Arcane Horror stood in front of them, dressed in tattered robes, grey-skinned with flesh only barely clinging to bones. As it moved to attack them, Solas quickly covered them in a barrier. As magic hit magic, the barrier exploded into fine gold dust and gently rained down on them. Callia felt a strange tingling sensation, and closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, she gasped. The Arcane Horror was nowhere to be seen. In its place stood… an attractive elven man. She flushed when his eyes raked over her form.

She heard Solas clear his throat disapprovingly from behind her. “Uhhh,” she stammered. “Who are you?”

His reply was delivered with a smirk. “You may call me Dirthamen.”

“Wait, you’re Dirthamen? As in, the elven god Dirthamen?” she was flabbergasted.

“I believe I introduced myself, did I not?” Dirthamen’s gaze flickered over her party. “I’m surprised to see you with these humans, brother,” he smirked.

“Brother?” she whirled around to stare at Solas. “Who are you?”

Dirthamen replied for him. “My brother, Fen’harel. I would be angry with you, my brother, but given that you have brought me some rather choice morsels, I’m inclined to forgive you.”

_Choice morsels?_ She gulped and took a step backwards, only to be stopped by Solas. A panicked look around showed Cassandra and Sera caught in the grip of a paralysis glyph.

“What… what are you going to do with us?” she asked, her voice quaking.

“I need to feed, and your friends are positively _humming_ with life,” Dirthamen replied, his eyes filling with a kind of gleeful darkness. “As for you… perhaps I shall let my brother have you.”

Solas captured her, his grip vice-like.

“Solas,” she pleaded, “please, don’t do this.”

“I must,” he growled, and sank his teeth into her flesh.


	16. Shattered Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: All by myself [one character, alone]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

He’d left her.

 _Again_.

He was gone, and he’d taken everything from her, her love, her beliefs, her truths…

... _ **her arm**_...

He’d shattered her. He loved her, and he’d destroyed her, and suddenly the prospect of living was so unpleasant, so vile, that death seemed so much more welcome.

And he’d left her with nothing, not even apathy, because how could she be indifferent when he would bring an end to her world, how could she know what he planned and do nothing?

She stared at the eluvian that he’d ensured was barred to her.

She was all alone.

Broken.


	17. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: What's this? [pick an object or a person and make the reader think it's something else. Either reveal at the end, or make the reader guess].
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

The warm body currently pressed up close to her is a blessing in the cold winter mornings at Skyhold. She shifts slightly, and there’s a stirring, one of protest.

She smiles. 

She stares out at the bleak sky outside; it is overcast and gloomy, and she does not want to venture out when the weather is like this.

Besides, she’s perfectly comfortable as she is.

There’s an obnoxious snore from him, and she winces. Maker, but he’s loud. Still, she loves him. He is hers, after all.

She snuggles up to her faithful old hound, and goes back to sleep.


	18. Generally Unbecoming Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Really!?! [Villain is caught doing/wearing/using something very unexpected when Hero encounters them]
> 
> Word limit: 200 max

“This mission is crutial” Cullen whispered to Ingrid and her team. “If we catch Samson off guard, we can take down Corypheus’ general, and leave him incapacitated.”

Five heads nodded tersely at the Commander. They used the cover of stealth to hide their progress into the temple ruins, Sera and Cole quickly and quietly taking out any opposition. They finally reached the _sanctum sanctorum_ that served as Samson’s personal quarters.

Cullen looked grim. _Get ready_ , his eyes seemed to say.

Everyone was on high alert as the Commander kicked down the door, as they faced the General of the Red Templar army.

A General who was currently dressed in scarves, his bottom dangerously close to a man who was sitting on a chair with a blank expression.

Ingrid burst out laughing. “Are you trying to _seduce_ Maddox?” The others followed suit, howls of laughter echoing in the empty ruins.

“This looks very much like the scarf dance they do back in Tevinter,” Dorian’s eyes sparkled with glee. “Has Corypheus been teaching you naughty things, Samson?”

Cullen wiped away tears from his eyes. “Oh, this is priceless.”

Samson escaped in the midst of their chortling.

“Eh,” the Inquisitor shrugged. “Worth it.”


	19. Drunk And Fighting Dirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Hold My Beer [character _totally_ has this!]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“Hold this,” she shoved the tankard into Varric’s hands.

He looked uneasy. “You sure you wanna do this, Shiny? You’re incapacitated.”

“Yer drunk, yeah?” Sera chortled.

“I _**got**_ this,” Valeria declared confidently.

“You sure, boss? You’re no warrior,” Bull chuckled.

She glared at him. “You’re going _down_ , Bull.”

He smirked.

She curled her hand into a fist, thumb on the outside, and let it fly towards his face, drawing from her mana to cover her hand in a layer of stone.

The sound her hand made when it connected with his jaw was satisfying.

Bull went down like a tree.


	20. Calculated Detonation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Something blows up [and it's [ magnificent ](https://i.imgur.com/wFtJoTd.jpg)]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

The enemy was almost upon them, and they were outnumbered.

Nodding grimly at each other, the two mages laid down several fire mines on the ground, one next to the other, forming one giant, flammable trap.

The Inquisitor stared at her Anchor. “Let’s do this,” she growled. Raising her arm into the sky, she cast Pull of the Abyss, instantly drawing the enemy towards their trap.

The resulting _massive_ explosion sent them flying backwards, and they watched in glee as their enemy burned.

And then Sera threw several Jar of Bees grenades into the fray, because… of course she would.


	21. Unexpected Absolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Best Enemies [Hero is having a bad day, villain cheers them up].
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

Cullen stared at the broken husk of a man, the man who had once served honorably as a Templar, and, more recently, had become Corypheus’ General.

A monster, most called Samson. And Cullen couldn’t disagree.

Still, he wondered. _There but for the grace of the Maker go I_ , he thought often. He knew all about lyrium addiction; was he not going through the withdrawals himself?

He felt low. Defeated.

A voice rasped out. “You’re not like me. You’ve got honor in those bones of yours, decency in your flesh.”

Cullen inclined his head in acknowledgement and left, his heart lighter.


	22. From Silent Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: No talking! [Progress a plot without your character speaking. Spooktacular bonus: Your character is not alone when they think they are.]
> 
> Word limit: 400 max.

She snuck quietly out of her room, the Inquisitor’s private chambers located on top of the highest tower at Skyhold, feeling very much like a mischievous child. Tip-toeing down the stairs, she caught Varric’s eye and silently pleaded with him to distract the guards. He shook his head in amusement, but played along, “accidentally” causing one of the large platters of food on top of the table to fall to the ground with a loud noise.

She made full use of the opportunity.

Lavellan knew she wouldn’t be able to find a way out of the fortress dressed as she was, so she stole a scout’s uniform - with a silent apology to the sleeping woman - and hastily donned it. The soldiers manning the barbican hardly gave her a second glance as she rode out of Skyhold - no doubt they believed her to be one of the spymaster’s agents, sent out on a mission. 

She made her way to the quiet, isolated ledge near the tallest peak, where there was a cave hidden away. It was her sanctuary, the place she came to when she needed to get away from the claustrophobia that she often felt. She was Dalish, she wasn’t used to being around so many people, let alone so many _shemlen_.

A howl rang out in the silence of the night, and she shivered. The wolves were awake, and it was their time to hunt, but she had no fear of them.

She went into the cave and came out bearing a large bottle of fine Rialto brandy. The ambassador had nearly wept when she’d discovered its loss, and Lavellan had felt guilty at the time, but the amber liquid, so richly scented, had been too tempting a trophy. She took a swig, shuddering as the familiar warmth slid its way down her throat and into her belly. 

She heard another howl, much closer this time, and frowned. Still, she wasn’t worried in the slightest; she’d warded the area to ensure her privacy.

Shrugging, she went back to her bottle. A pleasant fire burned through her veins now, indicating it was time for her to head back. With a sigh, she threw the now-empty bottle off the cliff and stood, her legs wobbling the slightest bit.

She screamed as an inhumanly large black wolf, with six angry red eyes, jumped out of the shadows and on top of her.


	23. What Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Do Over [Re-write/fix your least favorite canon scene].
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

“ _Ar lath ma_ , Solas,” she called out in a voice shaking with tears. “If you would walk the _din’an shiral_ , let me walk with you. I am no stranger to the path.”

He shook his head sorrowfully. “I would not have you see what I become, _vhenan_.”

“You asked me to live well, while I can,” she panicked. “And I would live well… _by your side_. Would you deny me this?”

His heart and mind warred fiercely. Finally, he cradled her in his arms. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he stepped through the eluvian.

Along with his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little [okay, a lot!] shorter than I wanted it to be, but I had to stick to the word limit.


	24. Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Per Chant [Use some ritualistic words. Mystical summoning? Wedding? Religious moment?]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

The dragon lay at her feet, dead, its heart-blood pouring out of the wound she’d made.

Above her, Corypheus screamed in rage. She barely managed to roll away from the barrage of icy missiles he launched. Every part of her ached; she was battered and bruised, but she was determined to end the magister who wanted to bring doom upon the world.

She whispered a prayer. _Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the Champions of the Just._

Raising her sword, she launched herself back into the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring my favorite lines from the Chant of Light, of course [Benedictions 4:10]


	25. De-Mystifying Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Technically correct [An in-depth explanation of something in your world]
> 
> Word limit: 200 max.

“Designing a rune,” Solas began, “is not difficult in the least.”

“Where do I start, then?” Samarra questioned.

“You will need a runic stone. Different stones can carry the weight of a certain amount of power. For example, Serrault glass is the most common, and the weakest. On the other hand, dragon’s tooth is the toughest, and exceedingly rare.”

“Why would you need different levels of power? Aren’t all the runes the same?”

“Some spells are more complex than others, and hence their runes are more complex. This means that the power carried in the stone material differs according to the complexity of the spell one casts onto the stone.”

“Right, what’s next?”

“Inscribe the sigil for the particular spell onto the rune,” he patiently instructed. “Draw from the energy of the Fade, let it activate your magic. Once you feel it, draw onto the stone as you would cast a glyph.”

She traced the familiar pattern for a heating rune onto the amber stone. With a short, sharp push of her mana into the sigil, she placed the stone on the ground between them and waited. In moments, a pleasant warmth filled the air.

“See?” he declared smugly. “Easy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring my favorite geeky pair. Who else would fit the part?


	26. A Private Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Domesticity [the moment a character gets a little [too comfortable](http://imgur.com/pfjKJxO) around the person they live with/share a space with]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

Solas was surprised to see her at this time of night.

Trevelyan was bent over the table in the middle of the rotunda, earnestly examining… something. He didn’t care what it was. He was occupied with… _other_ matters.

Like the _very_ alluring dip of her waist, the enticing flare of her hip…

… the rounded curve of her ass…

He swallowed, hard, and looked around. 

They were alone.

A wicked grin broke out on his face.

The next instant, his hips were pressed hard against her bottom, his lips at her ear. “I think we need some privacy, _vhenan_.”

“Oh, _yes_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Solas/Trevelyan naughtiness, fight me.


	27. Sentience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Nobody's home! [No characters. No dialogue.]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

It sat there, lonely and forlorn, withstanding the ravages of time. It had no company save the rocky, craggy peaks that surrounded it on all sides and the critters that burrowed into its roots.

It shook slightly as the storm battered at its stone defenses to no avail. It knew it was meant to last. Had it not been created to that end?

It settled its foundations with a shuddering groan, standing defiantly against the wind as it had many times.

But when the sun rose the next morning...

It spotted a new master.

It would no longer be alone.


	28. Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Gotcha! [your character is caught doing something illegal]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

She stood shivering, a forlorn figure in the midst of a crowd, salivating at the scent of freshly-baked cookies. 

Eyes darting around, she moved closer. A quick stretch of her hand, and -

\- she’d nabbed a cookie.

A loud, angry voice roared. “KNIFE-EAR! THIEF!”

She stuffed the cookie into her mouth as the owner yanked her backwards. “You rotten shitbag!”

She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t.

Not even when he shook her and her bones rattled.

“Put her down!” a stranger demanded.

She raised her face to look at the woman; kind eyes met hers.

“What’s your name?”

She sniffled then. “Sera.”


	29. Malevolence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Evility [Genre is horror, suspense, thriller or mystery. No fluff. No comfort. Happy endings are discouraged.]
> 
> Word limit: 400 max.

She woke to found herself chained to the ceiling. 

Blinking blearily, she tried to recall what had happened. She had been in the middle of a battle. There had been a flash of light, and then it had all gone dark…

Shifting slightly to relieve sore arms as much as she was able, she looked around warily. It was dank and dark, and she shivered from the residual fear in the atmosphere, shuddering as she spotted the bloodstains coating the floor and the walls.

She swallowed, hard, and whispered a silent prayer.

The door opened with an ominous creak, catching her attention. A group of men and women, dressed in black robes with hoods, filed in. She tried to catch a glimpse of their faces; when she did, she recoiled in horror.

They had all once been beautiful, that much was clear. But their skin was scaly and black with pus oozing out of sores; their eyes were a milky white. Their lips were turned upwards into malicious grins.

She began to struggle against the chains, instincts screaming at her to flee.

Lost in her efforts to free herself, she failed to notice the last entrant until he stood before her. When her eyes landed on him, she let out a cry of relieved recognition. “Solas! Please, what’s happening?”

His face was impassive, hardened. “I am sorry, Inquisitor.”

“Sorry? For what?”

One of the hooded men spoke up. “Fen’harel, what is this name this creature calls you by?”

She was aghast. These men and women, these poisoned, tainted creatures… _these were her gods._

“A name used for a deception,” Solas answered, unruffled. “But now obsolete.”

She stared at him, bewildered.

“Do what must be done,” a woman commanded.

The sharp rasp of a blade echoed in the silence. Her eyes widened as Solas took a step towards her, wicked dagger in hand, his intentions clear as crystal.

“Solas, please, no!” she pleaded.

“ _Ir abelas, vhenan_ ,” he said, but there was no sorrow in his tone. “I need their help to restore the People. And this is the price I must pay.”

“ _Ar lath ma_! Don’t do this!”

His gaze softened imperceptibly. “This is my fault, _vhenan_. I do you a favor,” he soothed, “the others will not be as merciful as I will be.”

Her cries of despair turned to shrieks of pain as he gutted her with his blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Ir abelas, vhenan - I am sorry, my heart.
> 
> Ar lath ma - I love you
> 
> vhenan - my heart


	30. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Whoops, lol! [Character can't stop laughing at someone or something... and they're really not supposed to be.]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

Her arm was burning, the agony intolerable. She was stained with blood, both her own and those of her enemies. The man she loved stood before her; his gaze held regret but little love. Her mind burst with the knowledge he’d just bequeathed her.

She burst out laughing. It sounded deranged and hysterical even to her own ears.

“You gave your orb to Corypheus.”

“Yes.”

“I’m dying… because of you.” She couldn’t stop giggling. “Corypheus couldn’t kill me, but my former lover will. Oh, Creators,” she laughed harder. “I’m going to die, and you’re going to destroy the world. Wonderful!”


	31. His Worst Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenge: Spooky [scare your favorite character or OTP]
> 
> Word limit: 100 max.

There were shouts of urgent alarm at the gates. “The Inquisitor is injured! Fetch the healers!”

Cullen’s heart froze when he heard the news.. He ran out of his office, straight to her.

She was on a stretcher, her face ashen, sword arm mangled and burned. The healers hovering around her looked grim, muttering about ‘blood loss’ and ‘secondary infection’.

He’d never been more terrified.

He never left her side, changing her dressings and cooling down her fevers, and his was the first face she saw when she opened her eyes.

“Don’t _**ever**_ scare me like that again,” he whispered.


End file.
